She explains that we can overcome the natural cycle that controls the storing and burning of calories by boosting your metabolism. This can be done by alternating what she calls carb-up, carb-down, and baseline days. She prescribes 5 to 6 meals per day and claims your body’s thermostat will shut off if you don’t eat 5 or 6 times throughout the day. She believes that without frequent eating, your metabolic rate and thyroid function will slow down. This frequent eating prevents your body from going into a survival mode and will “send a red alert to your hormones to store more fat as a preventive measure”. The book controls the balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake in a way that “tricks” your body into thinking it is not on a diet.

She doesn’t call it a diet at all; she calls it a change of lifestyle. This new way of eating works but does take planning and commitment. The foods you love are allowed on specified days. She gives you two days per week to eat the foods you enjoy.

If you’ve ever done the Atkins Diet, it starts out similar but gradually changes and allows carbs after the first week. It’s not as drastic and Atkins, some carbs are allowed, even during the first week.

Wendy provides you a lifestyle eating plan, and she doesn’t ‘dump’ you once the weight is gone. It’s an 8-week program broken into smaller cycles, and after the program ends, you can either repeat (if you have more weight to lose), or stay on the maintenance plan and live your life healthy.

You won’t starve. You won’t go hungry. You’ll just eat healthy! So, buy the book, “Crack the Fat-Loss Code” and it won’t get any better than that!

For you drinkers, casual or regulars.  Alcohol from beer and liquor will raise a hormone called Cortisol which tends to pack on the fat to your gut. I haven’t seen any studies about Cortisol and alcohol from wine, but I’m sure it’s probably the same regardless of the health benefits it has.

The best hydrator is iced cold water. It contains zero calories and acts as a filler for your stomach. It actually tricks your stomach to thinking  it is full so you won’t overeat. The iced water will cause your body to work harder while heating the water to your body temperature. This in turn burns additional calories.

The foods you eat. Obviously a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Anything you eat in excess will pack on the pounds around your waist. And for you ladies out there, expect it to go around your hips. Men tend to add fat in the midsection while women develop the “saddle bags” around the hips.

The best foods to lose weight. I’m sorry, McD’s, BK’s and White Castle’s have to go. Beans and berries are the clear winners. Actually, any fruit or vegetable with high fiber, such as squash, are the clear winners.

If you don’t normally eat high fiber foods, don’t overdo it because it will cause your stomach to feel bloated and uncomfortable. Increase your fiber gradually until you reach 20-40 grams per day.

Final Tips:

Drink some coffee. It “peps” you up and also aids in you going to the bathroom.

Don’t chew gum (although, I’m guilty of that). It causes your stomach to bloat due to the excess air you swallow.

Leave the salty snacks at the grocery store. They cause you to retain water, especially for you women before your period.

And finally, if you want to lose that stubborn weight, drink plenty of water. Don’t drink soda or seltzer water. Even any kind of sugary drink will cause your gut to bloat. You’ll need to drink 64-96 ounces of water daily to maintain your hydrated state. The more water you drink, the less your body retains.